Edmonton-based ceremonial mounted army troop guarding London
Just over a month after King Charles expressed his support for a 'strong and free' Canada in a visit to Ottawa, he invited Canadian soldiers to staff the ceremonial mounted troop which guards the official entrance to Buckingham Palace in London.
The Edmonton-based Lord Strathcona's Horse regiment are in the British capital for 10 days of service, marking only the third time a non-British unit will mount the King's Life Guard.
The Life Guard protects the Horse Guards building, which is the official entrance to St. James's and Buckingham Palace.
The regiment is also known as the Royal Canadians and the members have had to adjust to larger horses used in London for the ceremonial guard.
The only other two times foreign units mounted the Life Guard were also Canadian, including in 2012 when the RCMP took on the role to mark Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee and in 2000 when the Lord Strathcona's Horse regiment did it to mark its 100th anniversary.
Canada's high commission in London says the arrangement symbolizes Canadian nationhood and sovereignty, and is an example of Ottawa's commitment to its allies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 15, 2025.
Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Britain will lower its voting age to 16 in a bid to strengthen democracy
LONDON — Britain will lower the voting age from 18 to 16 before the next national election as part of measures to increase democratic participation, the government announced Thursday. The centre-left Labour Party pledged before it was elected in July 2024 to lower the voting age for elections to Britain's Parliament. Scotland and Wales already let 16- and 17-year-olds vote in local and regional elections. Britain will join the short list of countries where the voting age is 16, alongside the likes of Ecuador, Austria and Brazil. The move comes alongside wider reforms that include tightening campaign financing rules to stop shell companies with murky ownership from donating to political parties. Democracy Minister Rushanara Ali said the change would strengthen safeguards against foreign interference in British politics. The government also said it will introduce automatic voter registration and allow voters to use bank cards as a form of identification at polling stations. The previous Conservative government introduced a requirement for voters to show photo identification in 2022, a measure it said would combat fraud. Critics argued it could disenfranchise millions of voters, particularly the young, the poor and members of ethnic minorities. Elections watchdog the Electoral Commission has estimated that about 750,000 people did not vote in last year's election because they lacked ID. Turnout in the 2024 election was 59.7%, the lowest level in more than two decades. Harry Quilter-Pinner, head of left-leaning think tank the Institute for Public Policy Research, said the changes were 'the biggest reform to our electoral system since 1969,' when the voting age was lowered to 18 from 21. The changes must be approved by Parliament. The next national election must be held by 2029. 'For too long public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline,' Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said. 'We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in U.K. democracy.' The Associated Press
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
The U.S. has a new incentive for the purchase of U.S.-assembled vehicles; should Canadians be concerned?
Social Sharing New tax incentives that encourage Americans to buy American-assembled automobiles would probably be a significant cause for concern any other year and should probably be a cause for concern now, according to one expert. "But the reality is there are other, bigger, more problematic fish to fry than that right now," Greg Mordue said. The professor in the faculty of engineering at McMaster University said the federal tax deduction for interest paid on some vehicle loans is "probably not the most devastating thing that has happened to the Canadian automotive industry." But "that's all relative in the context of 2025," Mordue said. He called the initiative "one more thing." The new incentive was contained in U.S. President Donald Trump's so-called "big beautiful bill," which became law on July 4. It allows some taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 US of interest payments annually on loans for new American-made light-duty vehicles from 2025 through 2028. Tax incentive follows tariffs targetting Canadian auto sector It only applies to vehicles purchased for personal use, not fleet vehicles or commercial vehicles, and the deduction phases out for individuals with incomes between $100,000 and $150,000 or joint taxpayers with incomes between $200,000 and $250,000. Its introduction follows Trump's decision to levy 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian-assembled automobiles and auto parts that are not compliant with the Canada U.S. Mexico free trade agreement (CUSMA). Industry executives have lobbied against the tariffs arguing they will drive up vehicle prices for consumers. But, Trump pledged while campaigning last year to make interest on car loans tax-deductible, saying it would make car ownership more affordable and "stimulate massive domestic auto production." At a 9.3 per cent interest rate, an average new vehicle buyer could save about $2,200 on taxes over four years, according to Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive. Asked about the impact of the provision, Mordue said, "it has an effect around the margins … and all I can say is it's not positive, but frankly, there's a lot more devastating things happening to the Canadian automotive industry right now than that aspect." U.S. automobile dealers sold 15.9 million new light vehicles last year, a little over half of which were assembled in the U.S, according to Cox Automotive. It says around 60 per cent of retail sales are financed with loans. An estimated 3.5 million new vehicle loans could be eligible for the tax break this year, if purchasing patterns stay the same, Smoke said. The tax break applies to vehicles assembled in the U.S., no matter where the company making them is headquartered. Different levels of U.S. assembly All Tesla vehicles sold in the U.S. are assembled in the U.S. So are all Acura brands, the luxury model of Japanese automaker Honda. Last year, 78 per cent of Ford vehicles sold in the U.S. were assembled in the country, according to Cox Automotive. General Motors assembles all of its Cadillacs in the U.S. But just 44 per cent of its Chevrolets sold last year were assembled in the U.S., and just 14 per cent of Buicks, according to Cox Automotive. That's a lower U.S-assembled rate than Honda (60 per cent), Toyota (52 per cent) and Nissan (48 per cent), which all are headquartered in Japan. The jury is out on whether the tax break will boost vehicle sales in the U.S. At Bowen Scarff Ford in Kent, Wash., customers started asking about the auto loan tax deduction before Congress had even taken a final vote on the tax-cut bill, said general manager Paul Ray. "I think it's going to help incentivize vehicle purchases through this year," Ray said. Celia Winslow, president and CEO of the American Financial Services Association, concurred. "For some people deciding — 'Should I buy it; should I not?' — this could be something that tips the scale," she said. Others remain sceptical. According to Smoke's math, the average annual tax savings is smaller than a single month's loan payment for a new vehicle. "I don't think it moves the needle on somebody on the fence of buying a new vehicle or not," Smoke said "But I think it could influence their decision to finance that vehicle instead of paying cash or instead of leasing a vehicle."
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
U.S.-Canada trade talks back underway as Trump's wish list, from oil to DEI, keeps growing
Trade talks are reportedly continuing between Canada and the U.S., with formal meetings having taken place since U.S. President Donald Trump revealed more threats and demands last week, a source close to the White House said. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that he expected U.S. tariffs would likely be part of any future deal. 'There is not much evidence at the moment — from the deals, agreements and negotiations with the Americans, for any country or any jurisdiction — to get a deal without tariffs,' Carney said. He also said he expected trade talks to 'intensify' in the next few weeks. Washington and Ottawa have been engaged in tempestuous trade talks for months. Carney's team is desperate to end tariffs imposed by Trump on Canadian steel and aluminum exports and keep tariff exemptions for goods covered by the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal (USMCA). Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. After Carney's election in April, things appeared to be going well for awhile: Carney visited the White House, he seemingly got Trump to drop his talk of making Canada a '51st state,' and the prime minister quickly gave in when the president threatened to end talks if Canada didn't scrap its digital services tax (DST) on U.S. tech firms. Carney also pledged last month to increase defence expenditures dramatically to meet a higher NATO spending target by 2035, a priority of Trump's. It looked like negotiations could lead to a new U.S.-Canada deal before the July 21 deadline the two of them had set for themselves. Then came the letter. Trump wrote an open letter to the prime minister last week, threatening to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods starting Aug. 1, vaguely citing as reasons Ottawa's trade deficit, counter tariffs, dairy trade restrictions, and failure to halt fentanyl from crossing the border. What Trump didn't do — as he had done with the DST — was outline exactly what Carney needed to do to get things back on track. National Post looks at the reasons Trump might have wanted to derail the negotiations — and what other surprises the White House might have in store. Trump is under pressure Trump 'likes to keep us in suspense,' says Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst at Heritage Foundation. But there is a timing issue at play here that goes beyond the negotiations. 'Basically, they have a window of time to use these 'Liberation Day' tariffs,' he says, referring to Trump's sweeping new international tariff regime unveiled in April. Hale said there is significant legal pushback facing the administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that ostensibly gives the president power to circumvent Congress to impose tariffs in urgent situations. So far, there have been a few court rulings against Trump's use of IEEPA tariffs. Oral arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeals are scheduled to begin for one of those rulings on July 31, with another court set to hear two other tariff-related cases in September. To use IEEPA, a genuine emergency needs to be declared. What Trump did was declare emergencies based on trade deficits, drug trafficking, and immigration. Well, 'we've been running trade deficits for decades,' says Hale. U.S. j udges have ruled that there is no direct connection between the national emergency declared over fentanyl and illegal migration. The court rulings could still go either way. '(Trump's team is) concerned that they will no longer be able to weaponize these (tariffs) in trade negotiations,' Hale adds. 'By simply heaping on the pressure and saying, 'Bam, you get these tariffs, you're getting increased tariffs and the rest of it,' they're trying to get as many concessions as possible whilst they can still use them.' If Trump's emergency tariffs lose in court, he'd be left with the less-powerful weapon to restrict imports deemed a national security threat, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. 'I do know that Plan B is to use the 232 tariffs as an alternative more aggressively,' Hale said. But he notes that they are product-specific and do not allow for across-the-board tariffs. Tori Smith, a senior vice president at Forbes Tate Partners, a government-relations consultancy in Washington, points out that Trump's Aug. 1 deadline doesn't seem random given the appeal hearing against emergency tariffs set to start on July 31. She also notes that the review scheduled of the USMCA, as part of its original terms, begins in October. Trump's letter, Smith said, was probably meant to 'create leverage for the United States in advance of the USMCA review.' Smith said the 'long-game strategy' for the White House is to put it in the 'strongest position for (the USMCA) negotiations.' White House revenge There may also be something more personal going on, according to a source close to the administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The NAFTA negotiations in Trump's first term that led to the USMCA were headed by United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, who had a cordial relationship with Canada's then-foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland. In the process, Lighthizer reportedly neutralized Peter Navarro, then director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy , a fierce protectionist and Trump loyalist, who is now a senior adviser to the president on trade. 'He's never really forgiven Lighthizer for that,' the source said. (Lighthizer has since returned to private life.) While the USMCA was once touted by U.S. officials as the 'gold standard' of trade deals, possibly the reason the administration has talked of ripping it up 'was because Navarro sees that as Lighthizer's golden legacy, and he has reasons … personal bitterness, to rip it up.' David Boling, a former deputy assistant USTR for Japan, said he never witnessed the two men in meetings together and couldn't comment on their working relationship. But they had very different styles, he recalled. 'Lighthizer skillfully renegotiated NAFTA by building up trust with Capitol Hill Democrats. Coalition-building, however, is not Navarro's strong suit,' said Boling, who now works at the political-risk consultancy Eurasia Group. Navarro recently said he didn't like negotiating with Canada, while Mexico's negotiators were a 'pure joy to deal with.' 'You know, they (Mexicans) were tough negotiators, but they were reasonable, fair negotiators. The Canadians were very, very difficult, and they've always been very difficult,' he said in a television interview last week . Little downside for Trump It seems that the more Trump has pushed for concessions from Canada — on defence, on digital taxes, on fentanyl crackdowns — the more he's been able to get. Sources say his senior economic team feels they have to sell the president on deal structures, but that Trump often feels he can press for more. 'I think that this can be demonstrated pretty obviously by the Vietnam announcement,' says Smith, noting how Vietnam's team thought they would be getting a lower tariff rate than 20 per cent, but then Trump 'put out a different rate than had been negotiated or talked about by his team.' Trump mentioned Canada's highly restricted market for dairy in his open letter to Carney. But he might also start pushing for Canada to commit to more things beyond trade, as he has with fentanyl and defence. 'The Trump administration has also leveraged tariffs in matters that go well beyond trade policy with a number of countries,' said Hale. In March, the president warned countries buying Venezuelan oil they would be punished with tariffs on all U.S. exports; in the last two weeks, he's threatened 'severe tariffs' on Russia if it didn't make peace with Ukraine, and tariffs on BRICS-aligned countries (meaning Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as well as Iran and Indonesia) because he said they wanted to undermine the U.S. dollar. So he may want to wield economic pressure to try getting Carney to commit to helping restart a new Canada-U.S. oil pipeline after Keystone XL was killed by the last American president, the source close to the White House said. 'They want the Keystone XL pipeline big time,' the source said. Trump has never stopped wanting that pipeline since he approved it in his first term, and has raised it repeatedly since his re-election, noted Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment at the Heritage Foundation. 'Everybody knows that Prime Minister Carney has a focus on the environment, rather than fossil fuel production, so I imagine that it might be a sticking point,' she added. So would the fact that, right now, there is no company proposing that project, since the former proponent, TC Energy, abandoned it. Apparently, the White House also wants Carney to loosen up on Liberal social objectives, like ESG (environment, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), that have in recent years complicated regulation in Canada, including for American companies that do business here. Trump has been aggressive about deregulating away from social and climate rules in the U.S. since he took office. But Carney is 'religious' about ESG, said the Washington source, which could be a 'real barrier to these things getting forward.' Yet, if Carney got rid of net-zero targets and environmental impediments, 'I think there'd be a massive love-in,' the source added. How many of these new lines of negotiation — dairy, defence, oil, DEI, ESG or others — the president opens is anyone's guess, but what is almost certain is that current trade wrangling will bleed into October's USMCA review and well into 2026, said Smith. 'The next year is going to continue to be very uncertain and rocky for Canada,' she said. National Post tmoran@ Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
